9 August 2005

UQM has received an order from the Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD) for generators and motor controllers to retrofit seven CNG-fueled series-hybrid-electric mall shuttle buses.

Each 45-foot hybrid electric mall shuttle bus will be retrofitted with a 35-kW UQM generator and two UQM power electronic motor controllers to control the operation of the electric propulsion motors currently installed in each bus.

The hybrid buses are powered by a CNG-fueled 2.5-liter, 70-hp, 4-cylinder Ford industrial engine that operates at 2,200 rpm and turns the UQM generator.

RTD has also begun upgrading the energy storage systems in the hybrids from lead-acid to Cobasys NiMH battery packs. (Earlier post.)

The buses are part of a 36-shuttle hybrid mall fleet built by TransTeq (a Denver company) and introduced in 2000.